Pressing machine



Feb. 19, 1929.

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LEON C. ORCUTT, OIE SYRACUSE, NEVI YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY ASSIGNMENTS, TOUNITED STATES HOFFMAN MACHINERY CORPORATTON, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PRESSING MACHINE.

This invention relates to presses and especially garment pressingmachines. More part-icularlythe invention relates to improvements inautomatic press opening means.

An object of this invention is to produce an improved pressing machinehaving an automatic opening means or a trip means which causes the pressto automatically open immediately following the release of the machinefrom high pressure.

In this class of garment pressing machinery it is usual to employ motivepower to produce final high pressure subsequent to the closing of thepress; and it is necessary to provide lockino' means to prevent anoperator from releasing or opening the press `during the highcompression period in order that the machine will not be damaged. It hasbeen the practice to employ an operator operated device for opening thepress immediately following the relief of high pressure, but in myimproved pressing machine, there is provided automatically operatedmeans for tripping the opening mechanism so that the press will open, inan automatic manner, immediately following the relief of the machinefrom high pressure, thus saving the operator the effort required inopening the press. s,

ln the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two practicalembodiments of myinvention, but it is to be understood that I claim aright of protection as to all such changes as may come within the scopeof my invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a typical garment press in side elevation with theimprovements constituting my invention embodied therein. In this viewthe press is shown in high pressure position.

FigureQ is a similar view differing from Figure 1 in that the press isrelieved from high compression, the position of the parts being suchthat the press` operating mech-.

anism is in the act of being released or kicked off to open up thepress. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3)-3 of Figure 2.Figure 4: is a fragmentary view 'of another form of my invention whereinautomat-ic releasing means is combined with operator controlledreleasing means; and Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5` ofFigure 4 to show the relation of the release pedal with the closingpedal. l u A pressing machineconstructed in accordance 'with the plansof my invention has both an operator controlled and automatic pressopening means. The automatic means is power driven or mechanicallyactuated and functions to open the press simultaneousl i with therelease of the machine from high pressure so that attention and effortof thev operator is not required; and in addition to this automaticmeans, a kick-off device is employed whereby the operator, if he wishes,may open the press in case the automatic means for any reason fails tofunction or is not used.

The frame 6 of the pressing machine car-y ries the work support or buck7 and a press lever 8 is fulcrumed at 9 on the frame. A press head 10 iscarried on the front end of the press lever; and a toggle, consisting ofpivoted links 11 and 12, is pivoted on the rear portion of the presslever yfor swinging the lever 8 to open and close the head 10againstdown through a short movement to elevate and lower the verticaltoggle 11-12.

A toggle comprising links 21 and 22 has its ends pivoted at 23 on theframe and at 24 on the vertical toggle. A pedal 25 is swung in theframe, and as shown in thedrawings,

is pivoted on the power shaft 17. A connecting rod 26 oins the pedal andhorizontal toggle 21-22 in working relation. A coil spring Q17 has oneend anchored to the frame and the other end anchored to the toggle forfacilitating the lifting of the head 1() when the two toggles arebroken.

Referring to Figure 4, a kick-off pedal 28 is pivoted in the frame on apin 29, and this kiek-oft pedal has its rear end 30 sufficientlyweighted to cause it to normally drop down against the floor or frame ofthe press, but

.for the purpose of this description it is shown held in horizontalposition.

n The kick-off pedal has a projecting lug 31 which extends out under thelower edgey of the pedal 25 so that the lugstrikes the pedal causing itto move upwardly, thus breaking the horizontal.

the parts are show toggle 2l-22, which in turn collapses and drawsinwardly on the toggle ll-l2 to rais the press head l0.

The cam tollower has an integral arm 35 projecting` upwardly and adaptedto swing about the pin 16. il locking lever 36 is pivoted at 37 on thetrame and has its upper end connected with the aforesaid arm 35 througha draw-rod 3S. The lower end oi the locking lever carries an adjustablescrew or part 39 adapted to engage the rear end ot the kick-eti pedal 30whereby this pedal is positively held against kick-oli movement duringthe time the press is under high compression, at which time the positionol" n in Figure el. rlh'is position of the lockingv lever relative tothe kick-oliI pedal 23 is lnought about by the rearward swing,` ot tiearm 35 during the upward movement oit the cam 18 and cam vtollower l5which draws tao rod 33 rearwardly and swings the locking lever part 39into the path et the kickoff pedal 30.

As soon as the cam i3 is turned downwardly, the draw-rod 33 moves'forwardly to swing the. locking lever 35 out or the path and away fromthe kick-olii pedal 23 so that an operator may depress the kick-ollpedal 23 producing an upward thrust on the pedal 25 to open thepressing` machine.

Describing` i'urther the .torni oit my invention shown in ldligure el, arelease device 32 is pivotally carried on the pin Q3, and this device 32has a lug` 33. A pawl i5 is pivoted on a pin 46 tothe pedal 25. Thispawl is normally held in vertical position against a lug 4'? by aspring` 48. its the release device swings its lug downwardly, the lowerend ot the pawl 4:5 pivots rearwardly to allow the lug,- 33 to pass, andimmediately thereafter the pawl l5 springs back and stands in verticalposition. A draw-rod 331L conneets the upper end et the locking lever 30with the upper end ot the release devie 32 whereby the motion ot thelocking` lever is transmitted to the release device. lln the operationof this particular form of the invention, the cam follower arm 35,during its rearward or lett-hand movement, pulls the rod 33a in the samedirection to swing the lug 33 down` below the pawl or catch device andat this stage the machine under high compression. During` the nest cycleol operation the cam 18 swings down and moves the draw-rods 33 and 33"ll'orwardly to drive the lug 33 up against the pawl 4&5 to quickly causethe press to open, and during` this movement it is noted that the lockpart 39 moves away from the pedal 28 whereby the operator is :tree todepress the treadle 23 to open the press il' for any reason theautomatic opening means 32 is not used.

Referring; now to the other ligures of the drawing, there is shown anautomatic release lever l2 pivoted on a pin e3. The lower outer end ofthis release lever carries a iiXed lug or pin i4 which is in line with apawl pivoted at 46a on the pedal 25, The pawl lo is held in normallyvertical position against a. shoulder 47d through the agency ot a coilspring 48a. le lug 44; on the release lever `'freely passes the pawl l5on its downward swingv because the spring yields and allows the lug` totri p by until it assumes a position underneath the lower end of thenawl, as shown in Figure l. lilhen, however, lie release hui lll movesupwardly it impinges bottom end oi the pawl which causes the i edel 25to be quickly driven upwardly, thus oreaking` the two toggles andopening the press. A drawe'od 49 connects the upper end et the releaselever l2 with the arm 35 and is actuated by the cam follower l5 toswing' the release lug ill upwardly to open the press otter the cam ismoved to its downturned position shown in Figure 2.

A garment press et this class is sometimes used without the motor, forthe closing power olf the pedal 9.5 is substantially great, and producespressure adequate for some classes ot work. lt is to be notedthereore,that on some occasions the machine would not be operated by power, andtherefore the power release mechanism would not function. lhe kick-oil'pedal 23 is therefore provided for the purpose of opening the pressby'footpower when the power means or electric motor drive is notemployed.

The appartus comprising,v my invention is simple in construction andoperation and provides a press with either a pedal opening means, or anautomatic opening means, or a combination oiI both such means, andcilitates the work ot the pressing' machine.

l/l-.lhat l claim is:

l. .lu a garment pressing' machine, the coi'nbination ot cooperativepressing); members; means i'or closing the press; means for forcing themembers into high pressure relation after the press is closed, and torrelieving` the press of high pressure; a release treadle; a lockingdevice cooperating' therewith and positioned by the high pressureexerting means to prevent the pressing` members from being released. bythe operator while under high pressiu'e:l and means for automaticallyopening the press when the high pressure is relieved.

2. ln a garment pressiit-g machine, the combination of cooperativepressing members; operator-actuated mer-4s 'tor closing the press; meansacting when the press is closed to force the pressing members into highpressure relation and tor relieving the press oit high pressure; arelease treadle; a locking device positioned by the high pressureapplying means and cooperating with the release treadle to preventactuation or" the latter; a release device; a connection between therelease device and the locking device; and ymeans actuatedby saidconnection and the release device to open the press.

8. In a garment press; the combination of cooperative pressing members;operator-actuated means for closing the press; means acting when thepress is closed to force said pressing elements into high pressurerelation; a release treadle; a locking` device cooperating therewith toprevent the pressing members from being accidentally and suddenlyreleased while under high pressure; a mechanismoperated by the highpressure producing means for unlocking the locking device; and a tripoperated by the high pressure mechanism for automatically opening thepress.

Ll. In a garment pressing machine;` the combination of co-operativepressing members; a pedal to actuate one of the pressing members; areleasetreadle; means for forcthe members into high pressure relation; alocking device acting upon the release treadle to prevent the pressingmembers from being accidentally and suddenly released while under highpressure; means actuated from the high pressure producing means toposition the lock; a pawl on the pedal; a lever' adapted to trip pastthe pawl in one direction y when the press is moving into high pressureposition; and means operated by the pressure producing means forswinging the lever in the opposite direction against the pawl to openthe press when the same is relieved. of high pressure.

5. In a garment pressing machine7 the combination of cooperativepressing members; means for closing the pressing members; means forforcing the members into high pressure relation; a release treadle; alock device acting thereon and operated by the high pressure producingmeans to prevent the pressing members from being accidentally andsuddenly released while under high pressure; a trip lever cooperatingwith the closin-fg` means to open the press; and a lcnnectionestablished between the trip lever and the locking device whereby thelocking device when moved to an unlocked position causes the trip leverto open the press.

6. In a garment pressing machine, the combination of co-operativepressing members; means for closing the pressing members; mechanism forforcing the members into high pressure relation; a bell crank tripdevice; an abutment carried on an element of said closing means; and aconnection between the trip device and said mechanism for driving saidtrip device against the abutment to open the press. y

7. In a garment pressing machine, the combination of cooperativepressing members; means for closing the press; mechanism for forcing themembers into high pressure relation; a trip lever for opening the press;a pawl carried on an operative part of the press closing means andcooperative with the trip lever to permit said lever to pass in closingmovement of the press closing means and to abut the same while moving inthe opposite direction; 'and mechanism for driving said trip deviceagainst the pawl to open the press.

8. In af garment press, the combination of cooperative pressing members;toggle linkages to operate the same; a treadle to actuate the togglelinkages; atrip pedal to break the toggle linkages; a lock to engage thetrip vpedal when the machine is undergoing pressing strain; an d anautomatic trip device, acting on the treadle, to open the machine uponrelease of the pressing strain.

9. In a garment press, the combination of cooperative pressing members;toggle linkaires to operate the same; a treadle to operate the togglelinkages; a cam follower connected with the toggle linkages to impose afinal pressure; means to operate the cam follower; an varm carried bythe camy follower; a trip lever cooperative with the treadle to open thepress; and a connection established between the arm and trip lever foractuating the latter. y

10. In a garment pressing machine, the combination of co-operativepressing members; a set of toggles to open and close the press; a pedallever to operate the toggles to close the press; a cam follower workingin conjunction with the toggles to impose final` high pressure upon thepressing members; a release device for breaking the toggles; a pawl.mounted upon the pedal lever adapted to move past said release device asthe press is closed; and a connection between the release device and camfollower to drive the release device against the pawl to automaticallyopen the press.

In testimony whereof I alX my signature in the city of Syracuse, NewYork, this 10th day of March, 1922.

LEON C. ORCUTT.

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